Phonograph reproducing system



Jan. 22, 1946. R. H. HERRICK PHONOGRAPH REPRODUCING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 5,1942 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented 22, 1946 PnoNoGaAPn REPRODUCING sYs'n'EM Roswell H.Herrick, Oak Park, Ill., asslglior to Automatic Electric Laboratories,

ration of Delaware Application December 5, 1942, Serial No. 467,926

Claims.

My invention relates in general to a phonograph reproducing system andmore specifically to a system in which infomation as to the deposit ofcoins and a selection of records desired may be transmitted toarcentralstation from a remote station and recorded, and wherein the attendant atsaid central station may then cause transmission of the recordings onthe desired records to the customer at the remote station, and exercisecertain controls over the equipment at the remote station.

Among the features of the present invention are the provision of anelectric circuit extending between the stations over which phonographmusic or the like may betransmitted and the provision of an impulsesender and coin operated contacts at the remote station by means ofwhich the customer may deposit coins to pay for a plurality of recordselections and then transmit, by means of the sender, a series ofnumbers to the attendant at the central station, to indicate thereat therecord selections desired.

I have further provided a circuit superimposed on the said electriccircuit by means of which signals are transmitted to the central stationwhen the coins are deposited and over which the selection impulses aretransmitted, together with means at the central station for setting upcertain credit units when coins are deposited and subtracted from suchunits upon receipt of and recording of record selection numbers.

I have also provided means at the central station operative upon depositof coins to permit the transmission of numbers to the central station,and for preventing further transmission of such numbers after the creditestablished by the deposited coins is used up. There is also means forcontrolling the loud speaker and amplifier at the customer's stationfrom the central station over the superimposed circuit to reproduce therecords at that point.

Other features of novelty relating to the inter control over theelectric circuit `from the customers station to the central station-willbe apparent from the following detailed description.

In the single figure of the drawing I have shown an electric circuitextending from a customers station C to a centrall or attendants stationA. At the customers station C is the loud speaker LS with its usualamplifier shown in block form and connected to said circuit by thetransformer T. A coin controlled pair of contacts Y and Z are'includedin the customers equipment as well as a calling device or impulse senderCD, and a pair of control relays I and 2.

The calling device CD is of'standard type such as shown in U. S.PatentNo. 1,642,822, issued September 20, 1927, to H. F. Obergfell, andhas a set of oi normal springs which disconnect the relay I when thelinger hole dial of the device is first operated and maintains theconnection to the'impulse sending springs until the dial returns tonormal position. 'I'he impulse springs 20 are of the make type insteadof the break type. The coin controlled vsprings Y and Z may be a Apartof any known form of coin control device.

The only mechanism required being a coin chute through which the cointravels to a collect box and during its travel successively operates thesprings Y and Z in the order named.

At the central station the transformer TI connects the said circuithaving conductors I0 and ll to the usual phonograph amplifier of thephonograph (not shown) by means of which the attendant may play any ofastock of records for transmission through the phonograph amplifier tothe remote station.v A set of springs N are associated with thephonograph in any desired manner so that these springs are closed whenall of the records placed in the phonograph have been played.` Thesprings N cause the operation of a signal S at the central station andsend a terminating signal over a simplex circuit'to the customersstation to restore the samefto" its normal condition. Also at thecentral'- station is an adding and subtracting credit switch indicatedgenerally at CS having a credit magnet CM and a debit magnet DM as wellas a set of off normal springs ON. The switch CS may be of any desiredtype, such as shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,057,911, issued October 10,1936, to H. F. Obergfell, in which one magnet CM steps the springs ONone step forward for each coin deposited away from circuit opener P thusopening the springs ON on the rst step, while the other magnet DM stepsthe device P one step forward for each impulse until the springs ON areagain opened. In the present case DM is operated once for each Itwodigits of impulses sent in by a customer to indicate a record selection.The springs ON will therefore be closed when the rst coin is depositedand opened when as -many pairs of digits have been transmitted as therehave been coins deposited.

In addition there are a group of control relays 3-8 at the centralstation, and a pen register, only the operating magnet of which is shownat 9. This pen .register may be of any desired type wherein `a movingtape is marked with a short dash line for each impulse received so thatif the number 22 is transmitted by the calling device CD then two setsof two impulses each will be transmitted and two short dash linesfollowed by a short space and two more short dash lines will appear onthe tape. v

I will now describe the detailed operations of the circuit arrangements.station C desires to hear a selection of records he first deposits anum'ber of coins one for each record to be played. Each coin firstcloses spring Y and later springs Z. The ilrst closure of the mainspring I2 with spring I3 completes a circuit from ground throughtransformer secondary of T2, condenser C2, springs I8 and I2, overthesimplex circuit including the two halves of the secondary winding of Tin parallel, conductors I and II in parallel, halves of primary windingof TI in parallel, condenser CI, A. C. relay 8, and ground. The primaryof transformer T2 is connected to commercial 110 volts A. C. current andis so designed that approximately 25 volts of A. C. is produced in thesecondary and therefore in the above traced circuit. When this circuitis closed relay 8 is energized and by means of its springs I4 completesa circuit for adding or credit magnet CM of the adding and subtractingunit CS over a circuit extending from ground through springs I4 andmagnet CM to battery. 'I'he connections shown as arrows to the variousmagnets such as CM and to other relays at the central station indicateconnections to a central battery of approximately 75 volts D. C. at thecentral station. This battery may, of course, be any type of currentsupply having one pole grounded and the other connected to the variouselements as indicated. 'I'he operation of magnet CM closes the offnormal springs ON and in turn causes energization of relay 'I over theobvious circuit. Relay 1 upon energizing completes the many times asmagnet CM was operated. Re-

turning now to the operation of springs Y by the dropping of the coins,this operation is only momentary and when spring I2 restores to its backcontact and aftei-.relay 'l in the central station has operated, acircuit is vcompleted from ground through relay I in the customerscircuit, normal springs I'l and I8 of lcalling device CD, spring I2 andits back contact, over the simplex circuit to the central station,through springs I6 and relay 3 to battery. Relays I and 3 are of suchresistance that they will not operate when in series with each otherover this circuit. Each coin after operation of springs Y as describedalso momentarily operates springs Z as it passes on through the coin,-chute. This completes a circuit from ground through secondary oftransformer T2, condenser C2, through springs 2I and A. C. relay 2 toground. The 25 volt alternating current from T2 causes operation of A.C. relay 2 over this circuit. Relay 2 locks itself energized over acircuit including its own make springs 22, back contacts 23 of relay I,and condenser C2 to transformer T2, and also by closure of springs suchas 24 and 25 connects the .usual power source to the ampliner for thecustomers loud speaker LS to activate the same.

After the coins have been deposited for as many When a customer atrecord selections as the subscriber desires, he may then dial the twodigit numbers of a corresponding number of record selections. Assumingthree coins to have been deposited, then three two digit numbers such as12, 22 and 26 may be sent by calling device CD to indicate that thecustomer desires to have the correspondingly numbered records played bythe attendant.

Each operation of the calling device CD causes 1 closure of springs I8and I9 on the forward movement of the nger hole dial and subsequentbackward movement causes closure of impulse springs a number of times inaccordance with the digit transmitted. The circuit over which impulsesare l5 transmitted extends from ground at the calling device throughimpulse springs 20, springs I8 and I9, coin spring I2 and its backcontact, over the simplex circuit and through springs I6 and relay 3 tobattery at the central station Relay 20 3 energizes over this circuit toclose springs 25 to in `turn complete the obvious circuit for penregister print magnet 9 and slow relay 4 in parallel. Relay 4 is slow torelease and holds its armature attracted throughout the operations ofrelay 3 for each digit. Magnet 9 however follows the operations of relay3 and records the digit on the tape in short dash lines thereon. Theenergizationof relay 4 closes springs 21 to complete acircuit-fromsround through said springs, springs 28 and 30, and throughlower windings of relays 5 and 8 in multiple to battery. A branch ofthis circuit extends through springs 3| and 32 and the upper winding ofrelay 8 to battery. Relays 5 and 8 are differentially wound so thatwhenone winding alone is energized the armature is attracted while whenboth windings are energized they oppose each other and the armaturefalls back. Inthe present case relay 5 pulls up to close springs 28 and30 and open springs 29 and '4 30, thereby closing anfobvious lockingcircuit for l its lower winding and holding the lower winding of relay 8energized. Relay 5 also closed one point at 35 in the circuit of debitor subtracting magnet DM of the credit switch CS. 'I'his conditionexists until all impulses of a digit have been transmitted and recordedon the pen register and until the calling device CD returns to normaltoopen springs I8 and I9. At that time the circuit of relay 3 is openedlong enough for relay 4 to fall back and open springs 21. This opens thecircuit of the upper winding of relay 8 at springs 21, both lowerwindings being still held energized over the circuit including springs28 and 30. Relay 8 now attracts its armature to close springs 34, opensprings 3l and 32 and close springs 3I and 33. Springs 34 prepareanother point in the` circuit of magnet DM which is still Open atsprings 21 and also prepares a circuit for upper winding of relay 5 atsprings 3| and 33. The-transmission of the next digit by CD again causesintermittent operation of relay 3 to record a second digit on the penregister and causes a second` energization of relay 4 during suchtransmission. Energization of relay I again closes springs 21 tocomplete the prepared circuit of magnet DM from ground through springs21, 35, and 34, and magnet DM to battery, and also completes a circuitthrough springs 21, 3I and 33 for the upper winding of relay 5. Relay 5,having its windingsopposed, now retracts its armature to open springs 28and 39 and close springs. 29 and 39 and open springs 35. Springs 29 and38 close before springs 28 and 3|) open and therefore both lowerwindings of relays 5 andlareltillheldenergized. Springs 35 open thecircuit of magnet DM which deenergizes to complete the operation ofsubtracting one credit from those recorded on the switch CS by movingthe element P one step nearer to its position `where it can again opensprings ON. After the impulses of this digit cease relay 3 again remainsdeenergized long enough for relay 4 to fall back and open springs 21. Atthis time the circuits of both windings of relay 5 are opened and thecircuit of the lower winding of relay 8 is opened. Relay 5 remains inretracted positionand relay 8 now falls back to open its springs 34 andagain close springs 3| and 32 and open springs 3| and 33. These tworelays 5 and 8 have now completed a cycle of operations whereby thetransmission of two digits has caused a single operation of magnet DM.As soon as the same number of pairs of digits. have been received asthere have been coins deposited then the element P has moved forward afsmany steps as the springs ON were moved by the deposit of coins and thesprings ON are again opened. The opening of these springs opens thecircuit of relay 'I which falls back to open springs I6 to preventfurther operation of relay 3 over the impulse circuit and thereforeprevent the recording of further selec.. tions on the pen register.Relay 1 also opens springs I5 to'darken lamp L to indicate that thenumber of selections paid for have been sent in.

The attendant may now place the desired rec-- ords, as indicated by therecorded numbers, on the phonograph so th'at the music will betransmitted over the amplifiers and loud speaker to the customer. Thespring combination N is so arranged that when the last record desiredhas been completely reproduced then these springs close to operate thesignal S for the attendant to remove the records and to connect batterythrough springs 36 over the simplex circuit, spring I2 and its backcontact, springs I8 and II, and relay I to ground. Relay I energizesover this circuit to open springs 23 in the locking circuit of relay 2,causing said relay to remove the power from the customers amplifier andrestore it to normal.

It will thus be seen that units of credit are established at the centralstation by the deposit of coins and the consequent operation of creditmagnet CM and that each two digits transmitted to the central stationoperate the debit magnet DM to reduce the established credit by oneunit. When credit is thus exhausted the springs ON cause deenergizationof magnet 'l to open the receiving circuit to prevent the transmissionof further record selecting digits.

Having fully described the features of the system and the detailedoperation thereof what I consider to be novel will be set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a phonograph reproducing system, a record playing station, acircuit over which music or like recordings are transmitted from saidstation. coin operated means for transmitting coin impulses over saidcircuit in response to the deposit of coins to establish units of creditat said station, means for transmitting a plurality of series ofselection impulses corresponding to a series of digits over said circuitto indicate record selections at said station, means at theA stationresponsive to each pair of series of impulses transmitted forsubtracting one unit of credit from the units established, and forpreventing the transmission of further selection impulses correspondingto digits when the established credits have been exhausted.

2. In a phonograph reproducing system, a phonograph connected over acircuit to a loud speaker, coin operated contacts and an impulse sender,means responsive to operation of said contacts by the deposit of aplurality of coins for rendering the loud speaker operative andpreparing an impulsing circuit over said connecting circuit, meansresponsive to the transmission of impulses of a plurality of digits overthe prepared circuit by said sender for indicating a record selectionand for opening the prepared circuit when a certain number of digitshave been transmitted dependent on the number of coins deposited, andmeans for signalling the attendant and rendering the loud speakerineffective 'upon the completion of the playing of the last record ofthe selection.

3. In a record selecting system, a control station and a remote station,record selecting and credit recording means at the remote station, a f

two conductor trunk connecting said stations, coin operated means at thecontrol station for transmitting impulses of alternating current overthe conductors of th'e trunk to operate the credit means at the remotestation, means controlled by the credit means for connecting saidselecting means to said conductors, means in the control station fortransmitting impulses of direct current over said conductors to operatethe selecting means to select records, and means for transmittingrecorded matter from the selected records over the conductors of saidtrunk to the control station.

4. In a record selecting system a. control and a remote station, a trunkcircuit linking said Lstations and comprising only two conductors, areproducer connected to one end of the circuit and a loud speakerconnected to the other end thereof, a control circuit superimposed onsaid trunk circuit, credit storing and subtracting means at the remotestation and record selecting means thereat, means controlled by thedeposit of coins at the control station for controlling the credit meansover said superimposed circuit to store units of credit, meanscontrolled by said credit means for preparing a circuit for saidselecting means including said superimposed circuit, and means in thecontrol station for controlling said prepared circuit to perform recordselections as long as credit units are stored at the remote station andcause transmission of the recordedmatter over said trunk circuit.

5. In a record selecting system, a control and a remote station linkedby a two conductor trunk, record selecting means at the remote stationand credit recording means thereat, a circuit including said conductorscontrolled from the control station to operate the recording means tostore credit units and prepare a circuit for the selecting means oversaid trunk, means at the control station for transmitting impulsescorresponding to digits over said prepared circuit to select records,each two series of digits causing a record selection andcausingoperation of the recording means to subtract a unit of credit from th'eunits stored thereon, and means for transmitting the recorded matter onthe selected records over said trunk conductors to the control station.

ROSWELL H. HIERRICK.

